Gunman kills head of Venezuela opposition party

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A gunman riding on the back of a motorcycle has killed a Venezuelan opposition leader in the home state of the late President Hugo Chavez.

A colleague says Pablo Uzcategui was shot twice Monday night as he drove through the Barinas state capital with his son.

National Assembly lawmaker Carlos Berrizbeitia says the killing of Uzcategui was not a robbery. He says Uzcategui’s wife was driving behind her husband with the couple’s two daughters and witnessed the killing.

Uscategui led the Proyecto Venezuela party in Barinas. Berrizbeitia says he is not aware of Uzcategui receiving any death threats.

The prosecutor’s office has not commented.

Venezuela has one of the world’s highest homicide rates, at about 55 killings per 100,000 people. Political murders are relatively uncommon, however.